Oh My Gosh,
It is almost the end of the year! Where has the time gone??
Since Sept's blog, I've been to CA for 3 fun-filled weeks, hosted Tony v here coming and going from his trips to western Uganda, completed teaching the SAT preparation course at Heritage International School for a class of 11 students, and committed to continue the class with 1 hour a week beginning in Jan.
Recently it has been cookie making time. This is one of the Christmas traditions I really like, making a sharing fancy cookies with others. I've tried making some simple candy, but what a mess that usually comes out to be! That's one skill/talent that hasn't improved with age.
My friends from Ukiah United Methodist and from Redwood Coast Regional Center blessed my housemate Florence abundantly by buying the potholders, and other items that I "hawked" when we were hanging out together. Florence used all the raised funds to buy more teaching materials for her school, provide a great Christmas party (with the help of some of her volunteers here) and has enough savings to expand her school building to 2 rooms for the next term. God is very good, all the time.
This entry is more like a Christmas letter, as it brings my heartfelt wonder at what miracles still happen when we let God run our lives, all parts of our life, and the blessings that can be poured out for the good of others.
May this season and your next year be full of blessings, so that you can continue to bless others.
Shalom
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Patience
How does one get/learn patience?
Easy way is to come to Africa. There is little hurry, minimal time concern and the focus is on helping others, not offending them and being polite, all tools to maintain relationships.
When I was working in CA I frequently was frustrated by how slowly agreements were reached, activities accomplished afterwards and hated to be kept waiting for an appointment. I did learn to take a book with me to the doctor's office to keep occupied in the case s/he was running late. But I still hated it.
Imagine how it was to find that standing in a queue (line) that is 20 people long, standing about 4" apart and moving at the rate of one foot every 20 minutes was standard in order to pay bills for water, electricity. There is not home mail delivery and checks are still a new service with banks so many places won't accept them.
I did the standing in line thing for a while, but found as many ways to avoid it as possible. I paid bills every other month, sent Nasser, Ruth, or anyone else willing to go, to stand for me. Eventually I found that if I paid early in the morning at a local office for the water, only 3 people were usually there. The electric I pay through my bank, but sometimes the line there is almost as long as at the office downtown.
Mail from CA takes 3 weeks to get here. So...I go to the Post Office only 2x month. I don't get much snail mail, mostly stuff from AARP. At least there is no waiting to get into my p.o. box :)
Waits at the doctor's and dentist's office are surprisingly short, less than 15 minutes usually. I like that a lot.
Internet users are highly excited, for fiber optics have just arrived in Kampala. Now there is hope of connection speeds much better than the 2Kb/sec that are average here on the dial type connections transmitted over the cell phone towers. The broadband likely won't be in my price range, but enough businesses and "big" people will switch that the speeds for us plebes should get better.
Any thing that you are looking for, a new office supply, specific piece of apparel, car part, etc, requires you to go looking (or send some one) in several places. I haven't yet found the equivalent of the yellow pages that we can use. Once you do find the source, you are determined to remember where they are located for the next time the need arises. You may seek them again and find they have moved, are no longer in business, etc. And it definitely is Buyer Beware for all sales, purchases. There generally isn't a return policy. If you have a good relationship with the business owner, it may turn out OK.
After 4 years, I am still learning, and learning to appreciate more and more about the importance of taking time with people. This is where my shift in values away from the focus on time, from the quick, correct outcome to being with and listening to people's stories has developed much more patience in me than I ever imagined. (I didn't realize I needed it so much!) In the greater scheme of things, whether someone is on time, 2 hours or a day late, doesn't matter as much as what is happening in the life of that person now. People who work for me are willing to talk about their lives, kids, hopes, etc, but only if I ask and sit with them.
So patience just comes from practice and perseverance. It is a good thing to have an abundance of.
Easy way is to come to Africa. There is little hurry, minimal time concern and the focus is on helping others, not offending them and being polite, all tools to maintain relationships.
When I was working in CA I frequently was frustrated by how slowly agreements were reached, activities accomplished afterwards and hated to be kept waiting for an appointment. I did learn to take a book with me to the doctor's office to keep occupied in the case s/he was running late. But I still hated it.
Imagine how it was to find that standing in a queue (line) that is 20 people long, standing about 4" apart and moving at the rate of one foot every 20 minutes was standard in order to pay bills for water, electricity. There is not home mail delivery and checks are still a new service with banks so many places won't accept them.
I did the standing in line thing for a while, but found as many ways to avoid it as possible. I paid bills every other month, sent Nasser, Ruth, or anyone else willing to go, to stand for me. Eventually I found that if I paid early in the morning at a local office for the water, only 3 people were usually there. The electric I pay through my bank, but sometimes the line there is almost as long as at the office downtown.
Mail from CA takes 3 weeks to get here. So...I go to the Post Office only 2x month. I don't get much snail mail, mostly stuff from AARP. At least there is no waiting to get into my p.o. box :)
Waits at the doctor's and dentist's office are surprisingly short, less than 15 minutes usually. I like that a lot.
Internet users are highly excited, for fiber optics have just arrived in Kampala. Now there is hope of connection speeds much better than the 2Kb/sec that are average here on the dial type connections transmitted over the cell phone towers. The broadband likely won't be in my price range, but enough businesses and "big" people will switch that the speeds for us plebes should get better.
Any thing that you are looking for, a new office supply, specific piece of apparel, car part, etc, requires you to go looking (or send some one) in several places. I haven't yet found the equivalent of the yellow pages that we can use. Once you do find the source, you are determined to remember where they are located for the next time the need arises. You may seek them again and find they have moved, are no longer in business, etc. And it definitely is Buyer Beware for all sales, purchases. There generally isn't a return policy. If you have a good relationship with the business owner, it may turn out OK.
After 4 years, I am still learning, and learning to appreciate more and more about the importance of taking time with people. This is where my shift in values away from the focus on time, from the quick, correct outcome to being with and listening to people's stories has developed much more patience in me than I ever imagined. (I didn't realize I needed it so much!) In the greater scheme of things, whether someone is on time, 2 hours or a day late, doesn't matter as much as what is happening in the life of that person now. People who work for me are willing to talk about their lives, kids, hopes, etc, but only if I ask and sit with them.
So patience just comes from practice and perseverance. It is a good thing to have an abundance of.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
God Bless farmers
For the past 4 years or a bit less I have been "farming". Started out with one rooster, added 4 hens and one goat. The highest number I ever had was 32 chickens, 8 turkeys, 7 goats. Today another of my goats died, from eating plastic. Goat herd now is 2 almost grown males, 1 7 month old female and the twins who are 2 1/2 weeks. The turkeys number 7, the chickens 13. All will be given away in the next two to three weeks to people who can care for them maybe better than I have.
Chicken mortality with me has been about 90%, not counting the ones given away to be dinner for someone. Turkey mortality has been about 50%, but I wasn't trying to raise them either. The goats were OK. Lost 1/year to disease and plastic. My favorite one died early this week and another this am.
Farmers, who grow good food for their families and communities see the ups and downs of having livestock all the time. They lose crops to drought, to hail, to too much water or a bug invasion. The herds and flocks can do well, but then can be suddenly cleaned out.
I come from a long, long line of farmers, but I think I am not as good at it as those from a long time back. Good thing my family doesn't have to depend on what I raise to feed us. Maybe my upcoming move is a good thing, to take me away from farming for a season and consider if buying 20 acres and setting up a farm is really what I want to do in my old-age.
Chicken mortality with me has been about 90%, not counting the ones given away to be dinner for someone. Turkey mortality has been about 50%, but I wasn't trying to raise them either. The goats were OK. Lost 1/year to disease and plastic. My favorite one died early this week and another this am.
Farmers, who grow good food for their families and communities see the ups and downs of having livestock all the time. They lose crops to drought, to hail, to too much water or a bug invasion. The herds and flocks can do well, but then can be suddenly cleaned out.
I come from a long, long line of farmers, but I think I am not as good at it as those from a long time back. Good thing my family doesn't have to depend on what I raise to feed us. Maybe my upcoming move is a good thing, to take me away from farming for a season and consider if buying 20 acres and setting up a farm is really what I want to do in my old-age.
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